Sudden changes in our lives can open up periods of free time that we didn't have previously. Lots of free time might come about through change of lifestyle, retirement, career changes, having your kids leave home, or graduating from school or college. Filling your free time with useful pursuits is a way of increasing your creativity, energy, enthusiasm, and sense of fulfillment from life. Using free time productively can help you to overcome the inability to relax because you're scared of "just doing nothing". And ultimately, using free time in a way that feels beneficial to you will ensure that you feel well-rounded, engaged fully in life, and very much a productive human being. In this article, you'll have the chance to explore various ways of filling your free time with useful and fulfilling activities.

Steps

1

Make a plan for your free time. Free time will only become useful to you if you've focused on how you'd like to use it. Simply expecting free time to turn productive, creative, or fulfilling won't bring it about because you haven't thought about the process needed to fill that time effectively.

Your first realization should be that it is up to you to "do something" about making your free time work better for you; it isn't going to come from somewhere or someone else, only from your choice to make it useful time.

Your second realization is to make up your own mind as to what you define as "useful". Relaxing, doing nothing, rejuvenating, and thinking are all "useful" activities if they lead to a better, more fulfilled life. Don't couch your "usefulness" in terms of what you think yo

Write down a list of the things you'd like to be doing in your free time. You can rank it any way you like, or treat everything as equally important on it; that's up to you.

Keep a journal about your life and include how you'd like your life to be. Be sure to describe the activities you're trying out in your free time, so that you can evaluate whether or not they are worth continuing to do.

Create a visualization board that sets out the ways in which you'd like to spend future free time.

2

Guard your free time from unnecessary stress. If you want your free time to be truly useful, don't allow non-free time things to bleed into it. The reason for this is that your free time is needed to refresh you and improve your energy, your creativity, and your sense of self. If you let the usual mundane activities of everyday life creep into your free time under the pretense of being "useful," you won't gain anything from your free time and you will have very loose boundaries between free time and the rest of your time, thereby devaluing your free time.

Some of the things that it is suggested you don't do during free time include your usual work or chores, answering emails and voice messages, watching TV, constant action (free time needs to include some spaces for daydreaming and reflection), and playing with electronics if you tend to lose your sense of time with "gamer brain." Instead, set aside "catching up on work time," "internet time," and "responding to emails time" as distinct and separate activities from your free time.

3

Expand your comfort zone. A great way to use free time usefully is to discover new things and to find out that you have dimensions to yourself that you weren't even aware of before. By stepping beyond your usual comfort zone, your free time becomes a journey of self-discovery and helps you to grow. Moreover, it helps you to stay interested by sparking your curiosity and broadening your awareness. Some things you might consider doing to expand your comfort zone include:

Try new things that you've always wanted to try but make excuses for not doing, including by saying you haven't "got the time" – use your free time!

Do things you loved doing 10 years ago but have let go by the wayside since. Pick them up again and see where they take you this time. It will probably feel odd getting used to something you haven't tried for ages and possibly time has caused things to change considerably but enjoy the challenge involved in renewing your interest.

Write down the things that excite and energize you. Look for activities and experiences that will bring this about for you.

Consider some of the following hobbies that you can get started on your own: teaching yourself a new computer programming language, learning a new foreign language, writing a book/short story/play, making jewelry, graphic designing, amateur photography, learning a new type of dancing (pole dancing, belly dancing, zumba, tap, jazz, etc.), cooking or baking, teaching private classes on something you already love doing.

4

Change your approach to media usage. Turn off the TV and leave it out of your free time. Think about creative ways to use media in your free time instead. The Internet allows us to be in charge of the input that is circulated through media, providing you with ample opportunities for turning your free time into a useful means for getting out creative, practical, or informative messages that you'd like to share with the world.

How about creating a video that highlights something you're passionate or concerned about, and then setting it free on YouTube? Or perhaps you can write some poems or short stories, and add them to an online portfolio. Or if you're passionate about fashion, piece together some eye-catching pieces, find a model, and create your own fashion blog. Maybe music is more your thing and you'd like to compose a song and share it with people online. These useful uses of your free time will tap into your creativity and give other people something they can cherish, enjoy, or learn from as a result - a win all around!

5

Volunteer. If you've already volunteered, you'll be aware of the benefits it can bring. If you have enough free time to give of your time to others in need, this can be a very fulfilling way to give back to your community or society. And even better – you get to choose what to volunteer in according to what you believe in, and what you think is most important. Search for volunteer opportunities through asking people you know who already volunteer, by searching online or in the volunteer pages, or asking people who work in places you'd like to volunteer for. Whatever your level of experience, there is likely to be a volunteer opportunity for you and with time, you can build knowledge, expertise, and reputation through volunteering and find it becomes an incredibly fulfilling experience that helps many others.

Some ideas for volunteering include web work/newsletters/wikis for charities, thrift store helping, fundraising, soup kitchens or cooking/catering, animal work (wildlife reserves, zoos, animal rescue or training, etc.), joining a conservation crew, volunteering overseas, making things for people in need, and running a club's museum/display/tour activities.

Volunteer as much or as little as you like. You're giving up your free time for a worthy cause, so you should enjoy it. Even consider volunteering in different places at different times, to give yourself some variety in both experience and the people you meet.

6

Consider downsizing and reorienting your lifestyle. If you find your free time has been hampered by having to deal with a large house and all its maintenance and cleaning, gain more free time by removing the clutter and even consider purchasing a smaller residence. Perhaps move closer to a place where there are plenty of activities that you'd rather be doing and that are not on offer where you currently live to make up for a smaller residence.

It can take months to clear long-accumulated clutter from your life. Give yourself the time but also set a deadline by which everything is to be sorted and out of your life for good.

Hold garage and yard sales to get rid of things you no longer need to keep. The money can go toward your free time activities.

Avoid seeing downsizing as depriving yourself of a certain standard of living. Once you've freed yourself of high-maintenance requirements, you'll soon learn that the additional free time you've earned is worth a great deal more.

Some organizations like the I.R.S. (USA) require that you save financial papers going back 7 years, so don't declutter paperwork without looking at it first.

Shred paperwork with personal information such as Social Security numbers or bank account numbers before tossing, to prevent identity theft.

7

Learn for the sake of learning. School, college, university, and continued learning on-the-job are usually focused on getting us into gainful employment. Sometimes learning for the sake of learning is lost underneath all the deadlines, necessities for grades, and fears of keeping jobs. Learning within free time can be free of these constrictions and can be completely different from our chosen professional path in life, free from the usual reason of honing skills to a specific job or promotion. Always fancied yourself getting involved in archaeology, ballroom dancing, jewelry making, wilderness first aid, or hang-gliding? Use free time to immerse yourself into learning these things for the sake of learning them, without having the pressure to achieve beyond the goals you've set for yourself.

Even consider going back to college to broaden your knowledge.

Ironically, even though this type of learning may seem unrelated to what you do in the rest of your life, it will still be beneficial because it increases your ability to understand the world better, provides you with new ways of seeing things, and equips you with new skills that may well be applicable laterally, allowing you to "think outside the box" and come up with new, creative solutions to your everyday activities.

8

Indulge your hobby or pastime. Free time is an excuse to get fully involved in doing something that you consider to be a hobby or pastime. Hobbies are useful because they give you the opportunity to expand knowledge, improve skills, and to be focused, diligent, and switched on. Moreover, a hobby allows you to enjoy yourself as you immerse yourself in the intricacies of it. Be sure to reach out to others in the same hobby so that you can connect, share ideas, and brag. This is one area where showing off now and then does no harm provided it's all in good fun and you return the favor by complimenting the efforts of others in your hobby, too.

Even within one hobby, there are many roads to take to keep yourself occupied. For example, art and craft is filled with ideas for possible hobby angles; within painting alone you could investigate acrylics, enamel, encaustic (wax), frescoes, gouache, inks, oils, heat-set oils, water miscible oils, pastels and dry pastels, oil pastels, pastel pencils, spray paint (graffiti), tempera, watercolor, sketching.

9

Turn cooking and gardening into joys instead of chores. These two activities can be a burden or a major source of therapeutic unwinding and inner joy; it really depends on how you approach them and giving yourself free time to explore them will open up the possibilities for seeing them as useful and enjoyable things to do in place of a chore.

Pull out a cookbook and try some new recipes. Or look in your fridge and cupboards, then search online for a recipe that uses those very ingredients (for example, search for "broccoli pineapple jalapeño recipes"). Spend an afternoon baking and learning how to use new techniques you've never tried before. Use your efforts to throw a casual dinner party for people you really care about.

Redesign your garden or change your approach to what you grow in it. Cacti are amazing plants that grow gorgeous flowers, and they're almost impossible to kill. Or you could try herbs which are easy to grow, fun to use (in cooking or in crafts), and keep coming back year after year. Or how about creating a meditation garden or a Persian garden?

10

Spend more time with your pets. If you haven't already got a pet, now might be a good time to get one. Pets require regular care and can help you to create free time simply because of their need and that can only be good for you, especially if you have workaholic tendencies! Look for a pet from a local animal shelter, and you'll save the pet's life and become the center of each other's world.

11

Focus on your spirituality. Free time is the perfect time for all things spiritual because you give yourself the space to unwind, reflect, and think about the bigger picture and life's purpose. Whether or not you're religious, spiritual time is an essential part of being human, and tending to this side of yourself is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. There are many paths to learn about and acknowledge your spiritual self and you can begin by reading and learning all you can. Other things you might like to consider doing with your free time to increase your spirituality include:

Learn to meditate. Sit quietly for 20 minutes and breathe naturally. Count your breaths, up to 10, then start over again. The idea is to have something on which to focus, so that you stay holistically present and don't drift off mentally (which you will tend to do, by the way!). Centering prayer uses similar methods in a Christian context. After several weeks of daily prayer or prayer, you may begin to notice positive results in your life: more calmness, better concentration, more focus, more understanding of how negative the usual mental chatter can be.

Join (or return to) a church, synagogue, mosque, or temple. This is a safe way to meet interesting people and to get involved in your community. (You don't even have to be all that religious if you aren't already – for instance, Unitarian Universalists, while coming from Christian roots, are known for welcoming and including people of other beliefs, including agnostics, atheists, pagans, free-thinkers, secular humanists, and liberals of all types.)

12

Get friendly. Finally, but most importantly, don't hide yourself away all the time when it comes to free time. Reach out to others and spend time with people you care about. Schedule regular get-togethers with friends, hang out spontaneously now and then, and catch up with family members you haven't seen for awhile to see how they're doing. Even if you're not keen on spending a lot of time socializing, build at least a small amount of it into your week to ensure that you're connecting with others in ways that are free of the constraints of time, obligations, and work/self-imposed deadlines, so that you have a chance to share ideas, have fun, and be re-energized through your connections.

Community Q&A

If the items are useful and they don't harm your budget, then they are probably worth it. You must either need the product more than four times a week or it must enhance your life in some way that justifies less use. It is a good idea to assess whether something is "worth it" based on your own values -- the sooner you work this out for yourself, the sooner you won't be drowning in stuff and debt.

Spend more time with family members and understand the value of relationships, learn culture, learn to respect others. They can spend time playing physical games that acts as a mode of exercise and gives them pleasure. They can write, paint, draw, make a movie or bake something. See [[Find Free Things to Do on Weekends (for a Family)|How to Find Free Things to Do on Weekends]] for some more ideas that don't cost a lot.

Kids can do many things in their free time. If your parents allow it, go to your friend's house, or invite them to come over. You can try different sports and activities together. If you're old enough, you can also volunteer or get a part-time job. It's never too early to start saving up. You can also spend time with your family and/or pets. Never be afraid to do new things. Try something you've never tried before. Have fun with your neighbors and other relatives. Maybe you and your friend could make something for a bake sale, or paint pictures to sell at a crafts sale. Talk to your aunts, uncles, cousins. nephews, step-brother, step-sisters,etc. Get to know more about your family members.

If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know.

Video

This video explains how to find that free time and then how to honor it.

Tips

One way to appreciate life more is at the end of the day, before you go to sleep, write five things from that day for which you are grateful. It may be hard to think of five things at first, but it's okay to repeat things from previous days, and you'll find yourself looking for good things throughout the day to write down at night. This will improve your outlook on life. Don't be strict about punctuation, handwriting, how often you write, etc. You'll only discourage yourself. Write whatever, however, and whenever you like (unless you're also trying to improve your writing skills).

Don't over-commit. You don't want to ruin the fun by piling on too many things to do. Free time should be enjoyable, not frantic.

Reading can often help your brain and is a fun and educational activity.

Stay in good physical shape. Free time provides a good opportunity to keep up your fitness levels, whether it's a daily walk or a gym workout; how you stay in shape is up to you.Try to make it fun for yourself. Perhaps, use music when you work out!

It's your time. If you decide to move on from a church or volunteer group, or to discontinue a hobby, that's okay. You are the first and last judge as to what is a good use of your time; other people's opinions are only their own opinions. Remember, it's your life, so make the most of it! and become a good human

Take your time trying out new experiences. Something that initially seems hard may start to grow on you and it's more rewarding when you've stuck with it.

Try writing letters to friends or family.

Keep on writing letters which will help you to improve your vocabulary!

Warnings

Check with your doctor before you start any fitness program or strenuous physical activities. By the same token, don't let you put this off; your doctor will be pleased to learn you want to start something new and will only prevent you if there is good reason to do so.